Moving On
by Ken Pen
Summary: Ruth says goodbye.


Category: General Fiction  
Fandom: Guiding Light  
Rating: PG  
Summary: Ruth says goodbye.  
  
DISCLAIMER: This is my story, but the characters belong to Proctor & Gamble. Ruth was a classy woman who at least deserved an exit, so that's what I'm giving her.   
  
Title: Moving On  
Author: Kevin  
  
"Almost ready!"   
  
Ruth surveyed the scattering of cardboard containers with a keen eye, quickly adjusting a loose piece of tape on the final box, marked Child's Room. Such a varied life, and only a dozen or more boxes. So what? She had Charlie, and that's all that mattered.   
  
"Buzz says he has a hernia. Mommy, what's that?"   
  
Harley emerged from the kitchen, handing Charlie a glass of iced tea.   
  
"Oh, I think that means Dad has reached his two-package limit and wants to take a beer break. Be back in a second."   
  
Harley gave Ruth a weary smile as the two women shared a familiar glance. Ruth didn't envy her - pregnant, raising a son, a daughter in boarding school, and working on the murder investigation of Carmen Santos. Ruth tried to feel sorrow over her death, over any living being's death, but some people got what they deserved.  
  
While Harley dealt with her family cramming belongings into the van outside, Ruth slipped a hundred-dollar bill into the side compartment of her purse. She'd only been sharing Harley's home for a few months, but good people were a rare blessing. She would miss her as a sister, and a dear friend.   
  
"Mommy, why are we going to Chicago?"   
  
His head pressed against her midsection, her arm tenderly running over his closely-cropped scalp.   
  
"I told you before, Uncle Leroy called," after years of not caring, she thought to herself with a heavy breath, "and promised me a good job at his office building. He's even letting us live in his old apartment. Won't you like that, a place to yourself?"   
  
No answer. That worried her, but not as much as staying in this town, on someone's charity, still worried a mobster would show up here or at Company or Charlie's school one day, gun in hand. She couldn't put Buzz through that, not after the year he'd had thanks to the Santos family. And Harley had so many problems without Ruth adding on.   
  
The denim on her jeans brushed against the floor as she crouched to Charlie's eye-level.   
  
"Baby, I'm always going to be here, no matter what. Got that?"   
  
He nodded, slowly, brown eyes big and bright. Her arms enveloped him inside a tight embrace.   
  
"Go say goodbye to Zach, and then we'll go. But no running."   
  
Standing back up, she grabbed her purse as shoes clomped against the staircase. Cash, water, directions...so busy checking she almost didn't hear Buzz walk in, dust on his blue jeans.  
  
"You were the worst waitress I've ever had."   
  
A smile peeked through the deadpan on Buzz's drawn face. Always nice to see him smile. Ruth could only smile back, letting him hug her. A thought of mentioning Selena ran through her mind, but you could see Selena in his muted eyes - bringing her up would be more cruel than nostalgic.   
  
The hug train continued with Frank, and then Buzz again. Both ran out when they heard a huff or puff. Buzz almost tripped as he ran out the front door, Frank shaking his head as he followed.  
  
"Harley Davidson Cooper, step away from the boxes! Now!"  
  
Ruth could hear the three Coopers arguing, a sound she'd grown to almost anticipate. This was a family who loved each other, no matter how angry their words were.   
  
Ruth grabbed the last box, balancing the cartoned toys on her knee, ignoring the raised voices as she'd learned to do. Finally, Harley broke free, leaving Frank and Buzz to haggle over who was the better parental figure.   
  
"They're right Harley. Take it easy."  
  
Harley gave her a wry smile, lips pursed.   
  
"Yeah, I wish this was the most stressful part of my life."   
  
The early summer sunshine glistened in their faces, Ruth covering her eyes.  
  
"Getting close to noon. We have to...wait," she dug through her purse, "could you give this to Michelle Santos? It's the least I can do."  
  
Harley bitterly laughed and tossed a hand into the air.   
  
"Well, I'm not exactly on Michelle's Christmas card list right now, but Frank can pass it along."  
  
Her expression grew more serious, the two women joined by a hand on Ruth's shoulder.  
  
"Michelle doesn't hold a grudge over something like this. You were protecting your son."   
  
Ruth swallowed, a wave of guilt washing through her.   
  
"I was a coward who let an innocent woman go to jail. But there's nothing I can do about it now."  
  
Footsteps hit the gravel behind her, a light-skinned, dark hand on her other shoulder.  
  
"Harley's right, Ruth. And if she isn't, the Santos family will answer to me."   
  
Ruth swallowed again, not wanting to cry during her fresh start. David Grant; all she needed today.   
  
"Who told y...?"  
  
Frank stepped forward, hands behind his back, briefly chastened.   
  
"I had to Ruth."   
  
She shook her head, not angry, but not wanting the extra stress.   
  
"No, you didn't, but don't worry about it."   
  
Frank smiled his puppy-dog smile and took the box from her arms. When Harley and Buzz followed him several feet away, Ruth stood alone with David, her arms crossed in front of her stomach. The hurt was all over his face as he leaned in close.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me? I could've..."  
  
She moved away from the whisper, from the temptation of those lips.   
  
"This is why I didn't tell you. I have Charlie, and you have your job. Not to mention Miss Thing, who'd follow me all the way around the world with her razor-sharp checkbook if I ever touched her man."   
  
A smile flashed across David's face for a moment.   
  
"Nothing scares you."  
  
"No, not anymore. But I'm realistic. I treasured your friendship David."  
  
He stared at her, deep inside her with his beautiful, warm eyes, and when she didn't move away, let his full lips brush against hers, tasting the thin layer of lip gloss and the warm essence of her soul. They parted, Ruth wiping a tear from his left eye.   
  
"Go see Charlie - he's upstairs."   
  
When Ruth turned toward the van, sniffling briefly, Harley and her growing belly came into sight. A strong hand clasp between the friends revealed a crumpled bill in Ruth's dark palm. Harley clucked between her teeth.  
  
"Cop here, remember?"   
  
Ruth held the money out again, determined and nodding her head with every sentence.   
  
"What about those times I was weeks late with the rent? The yard sales you and your family helped with so I wouldn't have as much junk to carry along? The cereal Charlie went through? This is nothing."  
  
Harley was a woman of pride, and Ruth knew she respected others with pride. She slipped the money back into her maternity pants.  
  
David and Charlie emerged from the house, Charlie strapping himself into the front seat after they made sure he'd gone to the bathroom. Ruth took a trip herself, glancing around each of the homey rooms a last time after she did, hoping she would eventually have a place of her own with this much love on every wall, every window.   
  
David had already left when she came back.  
  
Another volley of hugs, stopping to kiss Harley on the cheek.  
  
"That house just keeps getting bigger and emptier."  
  
"I've been blessed with a guardian angel. Tell me when your child is born. I expect no less than pictures."  
  
"You got it."  
  
She made it into the driver's side, almost happy David wasn't there to meet her eyes as the three hands waved goodbye. Buzz ran up to the window as she began pulling out. She rolled it down, flashing her hand back and forth in a no when he produced more money.  
  
"It's the tips I owed you! Come on!"   
  
Frank and Harley joined him, Harley watching with bemusement.  
  
"He'll attach himself to the exhaust pipe if you say no, and Sis and I don't feel like filing any reports on our day off."  
  
Reluctantly, Ruth took the four or five tens from his eager hand.   
  
"Goodbye. Thank you for everything."  
  
Charlie waved at the vanishing figures as he and his mother drove away.   
  
Good and bad memories; about the same as any part of life. She'd done her best.   
  
"Will you miss them Mommy?"   
  
Ruth kept her eyes on the road, a trickle of dampness on her cheek.   
  
"Yes."   
  



End file.
